Florida Keys

By admin

Oct

5


FLORIDA KEYS string of small islands (Keys) stretch into the Gulf of Mexico like a necklace of uncut bejeweled stones. A fitting description considering all the Spanish and other treasures known to have sunk off the coasts of the area! The ten Keys of the string start with Key Largo, Marathon, Tavernier, Bahia Honda, Islamorada, Big Pine, Long Key, Little Torch, Grassy and Key West are interconnected by a series of bridges including the famous ‘Seven Mile Bridge’ facilitating excellent access to the mainland.


Beaches Wonderfall Sale! Subject to tropical storms and hurricanes, early warning centers provide residents with ample time to make preparations or leave the area to avoid damage or discomfort. Visitors are advised to spend time touring and stopping at the upper, middle and lower keys to experience all of the best on offer. Fishing, diving and jet-skiing are encouraged under controlled conditions that will ensure ecological and practical survival of the only living coral reef off the US coast, as well as licensed commercial fishing. Apart from the mainland Everglades National Park, there are ten parks and beach sites on the Keys, where boating, swimming, viewing, hiking and sometimes camping is available, from Key Largo to the end of key West.

Travelling from Miami (US 1) naturally the fist stop would be at Key Largo, a haven for fishing, ‘diving capital of the world’ with coral reef and boating, with lots of hotels, motels and resort and camping accommodation, restaurants, attractions, tours and night life.


 The central Island of Marathon is known as the ‘sports fishing and water activity Mecca’ of the Keys, where you can swim with dolphins or bask on Sombrero Beach. ‘Boatels’ are a popular accommodation experience and an airport provides flights on national carriers.

Tavernier is known for its Bird Park and as a choice to stay in a ‘quiet community’ with easy access to the rest of the islands and entertainment areas.

Islamorada Island is considered the ‘Sport Fishing Capital of the World’ with almost as many boats as fish! That can guide to the big game or numerous wrecks to explore in shallow waters. Overflowing with restaurants, entertainment and nightlife, it also offers stunning sunsets off the waterfront.

Big Pine key is home to two small State Parks, where the rare White Tailed Deer roam, and the Marine Sanctuary where you can go off shore or ‘flats’ fishing and afterwards relax to some island music in a local (Tiki) Bar.

Long Key is where the State Park accommodates campers and nature lovers who like seclusion yet easy access to neighboring keys.

Little Torch Key is known for being a quiet location, close to the corals of the marine sanctuary and its exclusive, off shore, Palm Island Resort.

Grassy Key hosts the Dolphin Research Center which offers tours and swims with these delightfully friendly ‘cousins’.

Key West has a historical significance as one of the first visited by Spanish explorers and was until more recently, a staging point for travelers to and from Cuba. Writers like Hemingway lived here, and many festivals and occasions still honor his memory. After a day of rides and attractions, visitors and locals still have big fascination to visit many of his old ‘watering holes’ that lure boaters, divers, fishermen and visitors to explore the night life, musical vibrancy or watch sunsets over the island, while listening to pipers playing “Amazing Grace”, is an emotive experience not to be missed.

Amelia Island

By admin

Oct

5

AMELIA ISLAND is famed for its magnificent Ritz Hotel with it ‘best Hotel’ facilities, which are its hall mark in sites all over the world. For anyone who has experienced Ritz luxury or not, its time to go there again. Enough said and it only up to you to see for yourself!


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Palm Island

By admin

Oct

2


PALM ISLAND a barrier island, some fifty miles south of Sarasota is a small privately owned paradise with resort facilities for quiet, family and romantic holidays, taking in all that natural environment (and man) can provide for relaxation and pleasure.

Virtually a ‘car free zone’, strolling, biking or canoeing are the popular means of perambulation around miles of beach, coast line where seabirds and marine life continue their ageless rituals and palm trees whisper in the breeze. For the overactive, there is golf nearby, photography, hiking, fishing, ecological excursions, and for the kids – an in-house giant of a pirate that will entertain. A little bit of exclusive heaven!

Sarasota Island

By admin

Oct

2

SARASOTA and her islands, beaches and facilities are world class. A cultural hub of the ‘Rich and famous’ – Politicians past and present, Artists and Musicians, Media Moguls and many more luminaries visit the islands from mainland Florida to speak, perform or attend cultural events. As part of a premier Resort area the Islands have excellent infrastructure, access from the mainland via the Ringling Bridge and waterways.

With more than a dozen beaches and keys to choose from, the islands are a ‘beach comber or loungers’ dream. Siesta, Longboat, Lido and Casey Keys and seven other island (Keys) offer many venues for fine dining and wining. Over four million visitors annually, testifies to the magical attractions that lure tourists, corporate meetings and weddings & functions to the ambiance of ocean, pristine beaches and sumptuous hotel and resort locations, and within the County, more than one thousand golf tees to choose from.

In October alone are more than a dozen Festivals to celebrate; Pumpkin, Latino, Hungarian foods and music of Jazz, Blues and for kids and parents the enjoyable Halloween, haunted House and Shark-fest. The Cultural Fests offer Arts and Crafts, Oceanic Evening, Ballet and Opera and Waterfront Pub Crawl to cruise the ‘Watering Holes’ in style.

Not for nothing has Sarasota been named “The best small city in the USA”.

Sanibel and Captiva Islands

By admin

Oct

2

SANIBEL AND CAPTIVA are barrier islands off Florida coast and also the site of the ancient Calusa Indians civilization. It is speculated that this is where the explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon met his end at the hands of the warlike tribe.

Today the natives are much more friendly! Tourists are welcomed to the area’s National Wildlife Refuge which annually draws almost a million visitors. Eco-tourists bask in the Florida sun, island beaches, the Everglades jungles and waterways, swamps, exotic views and skies, recreational adventures fishing and aquatic pursuits, marine life and one of the best shell collectors sites in the world.

With both International and local Resorts and Inns on the islands, accommodation is available from Luxury to budget – if you can get in! More than a dozen Restaurants offer the freshest seafood available to tickle the taste of the most discerning of culinary fundi’s!

The great visual draws are the cream colored beaches, the azure seas and the spectacular orange sunsets. The sports fishing is legendary, the sailing and boating exhilarating and the primeval forests and waterways of the Everglades, a glimpse into natural pre-history. Awesome, don’t you think?

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Pine Island

By admin

Oct

2


PINE ISLAND is one of the largest mangrove islands off the Florida Coast – 17 by 2 miles, and quaint and secluded. Protected by three outer islands from the Gulf of Mexico it was fist settled thousands of years ago by the mysterious and ‘highly cultural’, Calusas Indians. Some of their shell mounds and archaeological sites are all that remain to intrigue and mystify modern visitors. Tourists and visitors enjoy the same views, fabulous fishing, waterways, marine, animal, bird and access to the Everglades that the ‘Ancients’ and following waves of Spanish, Europeans and Settlers that followed.

St. James City hosts most of the population with most homes on canals, while port of Bokeelia in the north is home to most of the commercial fishermen, marina, historic buildings and subtropical fruit and other agricultural production. Pine Island Center is the ‘commercial hub’ that offers the Shopping Center, School, Cultural and community Center, Sports, and Medical and Emergency Services.

Bottom line is – Pine Island is a natural place to relax, dine and wine, or to use as a stepping stone to cruise, kayak the waters of the surrounding islands, visit State Parks, and view the rare marine life, fish for that trophy or deliciously fresh meal. It’s ‘paradise found’.

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Marco Islands

By admin

Oct

2

Tourists today are unaware of the thousands of years of occupation by the (now extinct) Colusa Indians, except for remnants in the local museum. The largest of the “Ten Thousand Islands of the Everglades”, modern tourist facilities have spread yet maintained much of the indigenous Everglades and pristine beaches.

As a consequence of the abundant natural resources, the Colusa Indians had the opportunity to develop a much greater social and political complexity and a larger population density than is typical of hunters and gatherers.

Tourists and holiday makers, the new breed of ‘Hunter – gatherers’ now explores, experience and enjoys the comfort and natural beauty that has been preserved. Magnificent beaches, high-rise apartments with stunning views, quaint inns, much to do – boating facilities to cruise, fish or visit the thousands of islands with their marine, birdlife and wildlife in the unique Everglades environment, laze away on the beach or compete on the golf course.

Tourists are entertained by events specific to the area – Arts and Crafts, Marine Festivals, Cultural Events and Annual National and State Festivals. Restaurants offer the finest of sea and other foods and night life entertainment.

If you want satisfying activity or simply rest and relaxation this jewel among the everglade islands will lure you back, again and again.

Longboat, Lido and St. Armand’s Key

By admin

Oct

2

Longboat Key, Lido Key and St. Armand’s Key
Logo 120x60 CheapOair are year round attractions. Between Sarasota Bay and the Mexican Golf, the perfect temperate weather draws tourists and mainlanders alike. The miles of beaches, sports like tennis and golf, fishing and a wide range of resorts, hotels and holiday apartments, shopping, restaurants and entertainment venues, cultural and events, parks, bird and marine life offer a fulfilling holiday vacation for all.

Gasparilla Island

By admin

Oct

2

GASPARILLA ISLAND – is small but unique to fishermen and tourists. Situated in the Gulf of Mexico, off the south coast of Florida and the Bay of Charlotte Harbor, this ‘sun-kissed’ island has the small town of Boca Grande in the center and an old world charm of rustic homes, miles and miles of lazy beaches, bike paths and of course boast to be, “The Tarpon Fishing Capital of the World”.

Fishing off this coast is what made this island popular in recent years. Outside of the Tarpon Season, grouper, snapper, mackerel and kingfish and inshore snook and redfish offer year round fishing fun.

Accommodation is available from quaint Inns and home vacation rentals in many of the grand holiday homes and restaurants cater for the most discerning of sea foods. For perfect relaxation for the whole family to ‘unwind’ and for fisherman to chase that trophy or simply to ‘bring home the bacon’ of a fine days catch – Gasparilla Island is hard to beat.


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Isle of Capri

By admin

Oct

2

ISLES OF CAPRI are even smaller! With a development joining four mangrove islands and six hundred acres, this is the ultimate in small island development successfully retains a rural fishing village ambiance, where visitors can take to the ocean for sports and food fishing.


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Goodland Island

By admin

Oct

1

GOODLAND ISLAND – is even smaller and with hardly 400 permanent residents one may be tempted to pass on without more than a glance – a big mistake. This sleepy fishing haven bursts to life over week ends and festival days.

Live Bands, Theme Parties, Hog Roasts, Games, Music, Dancing and Beer, liven up the island for thousands of visitors – and the sleepy cats and dogs desert the streets to find solace elsewhere while the people ‘live it up’. Antique and Art shops, many with resident artists open their doors wide to the flood of visitors as do the Fishing Tackle Shops, Charter Boats and Sea-side Restaurants.

After the week-end the ‘lemming run’ of visitors return to their homes. The Island takes a deep breath and readies itself for the next week-end flood of humanity. Cool place to go to!


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